Friendship Harder: Collected Microfiction

by KwirkyJ

Speedster Camp, Day One [Slice of Life; Dark(bullying)]

"Hey, you! You, Chicken!"

I looked up from my lunch to see four ponies flying towards me.

"Yeah, you! Sittin’ out here by your lonesome for lunch?" one of the brown ones yelled as they approached.

"Yeah, all alone ‘cuz you don’t got any friends," chimed in the grey one.

I turned away and tried to focus on my lunch, hoping they’d just fly on. Being the only griffon around makes it pretty hard to make friends. I would know, I tried.

Then the yellow one ‘bumped’ into me as they landed, encircling me. My head rang.

"Come on, guys," said the other brown one, "like anypony would want to be friends with a freak like that. I mean, half-cat, half-chicken?"

"I’m not chicken," I bit back. “Just leave me alone.”

"Oh, you hear that," said the second brown one. "She says she’s not a chicken!"

"Heh, you’ve got the feet, the beak, you’re totally a chicken."

"No," said the yellow one. "She’s Buck-beak. A beak with TEETH? Seriously?"

"Leave me alone," I said, the words coming out as a growl. The first day of Speedster Camp was off to a great start.

"What’s-a matter, Buck-beak?"

"I have a name, you featherbrains.”

"Right," said the yellow one again. "It’s Crowface. All those feathers around your head, you’re like a crow."

"Heh, yeah, some albino crow," observed the first brown one.

"Some albino, buck-beaked crow who likes…" The grey one grabbed my lunch.

"Hey!" I shouted, "Give that back!"

"Fish? Who eats fish?"

I flew up and grabbed my bag, trying to wrest it from his grip.

"I do. Not like I’m trying to make you eat it! Now give! It! BACK!"

I head-butted him at the last word, breaking his grip. I pulled free with my lunch and darted to a nearby cloud.

There was an eerie silence behind me. Despite the warning in my heart, I looked back. I should have flown, gotten away, found the counselors – anything but stop to look back. The other three were staring at me. The one I had hit was picking himself up, eyes unscrewing and settling into a particularly nasty scowl.

"She’s gonna pay for that, the chicken bitch," he said to his buddies, just loud enough for me to hear.

Before I knew what was happening, all four were upon me, pinning my wings and legs, yelling.

"Hey, let me go!"

That was when the blows descended.

I struggled as best I could, but there were too many of them. Every time I managed to block even one, there were more limbs, more hits, and more pain.

"Hey, knock it off!"

There was a flash of blue, and one of them was off of me. Two of the others loosened their grip in their surprise and I threw them off as well. Another flash of blue and the last was gone.

A pair of blue hooves pulled me up. Blue hooves, blue fur, and a rainbow mane framing a severe filly’s face.

"Get outta here, you bullies!" She yelled at them. After a moment of hesitation and glancing at each other – mostly towards the yellow one – they took off.

"Looks like you got a loser pony friend after all," called the grey one.

"Heh, yeah, Buck-beak and Rainbow Crash!"

"Kiss her boo-boos and make it all better, Rainbow Crash!"

I felt the filly tense up in preparation to fly them down, then she hesitated. She must have felt me trembling as I leaned on her for support.

We watched them leave, disappearing behind a cloud bank.

"Thanks," I managed to rasp out.

"Hey, as if I’d let them get away with beating up anypony. Or… any, uh… What are you, exactly?"

Despite myself, I chuckled.

"Griffon. Name’s Gilda."

"Well, I’d never leave any Gilda hanging. Name’s Rainbow Dash, and you’re totally my friend now, got it?"

"Almost, Rainbow. But today? Today, you’re my angel."

I wrapped her in a hug, wings and all. I may have sobbed a little. She pushed me back, gently.

"Hey, don’t get all sappy on me, it was nothing. And, uh… What’s an ‘angel?’"

Oh, those cultural differences.

Despite myself, still shaking, I laughed.

Author's Note:

Adapted from: http://thirtyminuteponies.tumblr.com/post/71725896332/prompt-536-untitled-by-kwirkyj

Comments

[PresentPerfect]

Huh. The ending really made it.